


Managing of Emotions

by wolph



Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Charles is a therapist, Erik has anger managment issues, F/M, Family, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-01-05
Updated: 2012-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-28 23:25:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/313325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolph/pseuds/wolph
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Its not everyday you come out of a department store to find a man on top of your car who then proceeds to bash the living crap out of it with a sledge hammer. For Charles, this is how he meets Erik Lehnsherr, an angry high school math teacher who has confused Charles' car for his wife's who is currently divorcing him. Explosions, Nudity, Pranks, Questioning of Sexuality and more! Charles just thought having foster kids was going to be a handful.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all!
> 
> This story came to me while listening to a costumer talk about his messy divorce and the look on her face when she came out of work with him on top of her smashed up car. So to turn a hilarious spin on an otherwise sad tale I thought, "hey! what would happen if you smashed up the wrong car," and thus I this story came to mind!  
> This is my first time writing M/M and the first time writing X-Men at all! So if possible please take it easy on me. It is currently in an un-beta stages but for those who are willing to beta for me I'd be honored if someone was to take a look at my work. Yes I made Charles a therapist, but with him lacking the telepathy I thought HEY! therapist Charles to the rescue, it would also justify the tweed ... all the therapist I know where tweed.  
> I hope everyone enjoys this story ! I apologize for the grammar and spelling errors but I always seem to miss something.
> 
> Now I'll stop talking and let you all enjoy!!!
> 
> * For all the colourful words Magda and Erik scream at each other ... just type in German swear words and click the first link. Can't miss them.

**How Charles’s Morning Began**

“When was the last time you had sex?”

 

It was official, Charles would never have a peaceful morning. All he wanted was to sit in his sunroom, drink some tea, do a crossword and enjoy his morning without anything breaking, smashing, blowing up or being questioned by rebellious teenagers or nosey sisters. But that hadn’t happened in the last four years, so it was silly to get his hopes up now.

 

“You asked me the same question last week and my answer still hasn’t changed.” He hoped that would put an end to Raven’s continuous questioning but all it did was antagonize her. She took a moment to take a large bite out of her tea biscuit, crumbs flying everywhere and the contents peeking out from her lips as she puffed them out like a chipmunk. Raven wasn’t known for her graceful eating habits.

 

“And I’m pretty sure you avoided the question last week. So tell me darling brother, when was the last time you bonked anyone!” Raven continued.  Charles let out a sigh; he flipped the page of his newspaper scanning through the contents of the political articles discussing the current state of national affairs.

 

“When did I take in my first foster child?” he asked flipping to the next page. Raven took a moment to think, her fingers coming out to count. He caught some slicing of the invisible numbers to indicate she was subtracting.

 

“Dear heavens Raven, must I acquire a tutor for you as well?” he asked chuckling as he flipped the page falling into the entertainment section.

 

“Shut up, I’m counting,” she answered with an intense look. Charles arched a brow and watched her closely for about five more seconds before she came up with her answer.

 

“2008!”

 

“There’s your answer,” and with that Charles flipped to the back page where the comics and the sought after crossword lay. Charles sat up straight in his seat eager to begin fishing for words. However the moment his pen touched the paper the table below him jumped. Charles heart stopped for a minute as his pen scribbled across the small boxes.

 

“Shut the fuck up,” she screeched with a tight grin across her lips, he could already hear the giggles building her throat attempting to escape those red lips and mock him for all he was worth. He had heard it all before.

 

“Language Raven, just because you’re not one of my charges doesn’t mean I will tolerate that kind of vulgarity in this household.”

 

 Plus even though most of his kids had passed the age of parroting, they still jumped on the chance to toss vulgar words left right and center. It wasn’t until Charles had actually taken soap to Alex’s mouth one time did he stop dropping the f-bomb everywhere he liked. Needless to say whenever the urge arised to swear, Alex discussed the faint taste of dove soap at the back of his throat.

 

“You mean you haven’t bumped uglies since Moira found your man-porn stash?”

 

“Where in gods name do you pick up this sort of language Raven? I’m fairly certain we attended the same schooling and there they did teach us basic vocabulary skills,” he said attempting to ignore her previous comment.

 

“What can I say. I Americanized,” she said with a devilish grin. True, both Charles and Raven had emigrated from Great Britain to the Americas some-time ago. Charles held onto his English roots were as Raven drowned herself in the United States culture.

 

“Stop skirting around the issue Charles, what’s been keeping you from getting naked and sweaty?” she asked prodding his knee with her foot. Charles felt heat rise in his face. She always did this, questioning him and pushing for the intimate details of his sexual life, but like hell he was going to tell her. Time to divert.

 

“So Raven, how goes the acting business mmh? I trust you’ve landed a part in which you will be clothed?”

 

Raven’s eyes shot open and her lips contorted in embarrassment. Bullseye. Charles couldn’t help the smirk that grew from his lips as his pen danced across the crossword, filling in words as they came to him.

 

“Low blow Xavier. You know I didn’t know it was an audition for a damned porno,” she yelled kicking him in the shin just for good measure. Charles laughed rubbing bruising pain that blossomed across his shin.

 

“Darling, the fact that they required medical documentation of any recent vaginal infections should have clearly demonstrated what type of position or positions you were auditioning for.”

Raven booted him under the table yet again for good measure. He flinched and blocked his shins with his hands this time, laughing at how red his sister was growing over the recent discussion of her near dance with the porn industry.  Oddly enough they loved her soft-core work of simple acting and touching so they used it and incorporated a body double for the intimate scenes. Needless to say when Raven brought home the DVD and asked both Charles and his-then-girlfriend-Moira to sit in and watch, they were not expecting to see so much of Raven.

 

Before Raven could snap the conversation back on Charles’ lack of sex, a loud screeched echoed down the hallway. Both adults froze eyes wide and minds’ racing to figure out what was going on.

 

 _“THIS IS WHY BIRTH CONTROL WAS INVENTED!”_

Both Raven and Charles were out of their seats and running for the door to the run room. Charles gave a playful hip check knocking Raven into the glass window and out of his way as he made it out the door first. Raven made a grab for that damned blue cardigan of his but he ducked out just in time.

 

Moving from the sunroom to the kitchen and out into the hallway that lead to the main lobby, Charles caught sight of Ms. Coulter franticly packing her papers in her brief case screeching about how she understands now why parents smother their children.

 

Charles was then taken aback by the profanity she screeched up the staircase towards a young Alex who sat there smugly leaning against the banister. At least until he caught sight of Charles glaring in his direction. He’d only seen Alex run and hide that fast when he brought out the soap.

 

Raven halted behind Charles raced up the stairs after Charles gave her the go ahead to check up on the children.

 

Charles carefully edged towards the angry woman. Her hair was in disarray and her glasses were crooked, emphasis her distress.

 

“Melanie?” calling her by her first name snapped her from her rant but immediately drew her attention Charles.

 

 _“YOU!_ ” she snapped. Charles instinctively flinched and drew back protecting areas of great interest preferably his genital region. Her perfectly manicured nails were pointed in his direction, the index finger fully extended and threatening to poke his eye clear out of its socket. She advanced on Charles backing him up against one of standing antique lamps that illuminated the lobby. He was stuck between a lamp and a vicious woman who looked like she was going to eat him alive.

 

Her pupils were dilated and her chest heaving as she shook her hand vigorously.

 

 _“You left me alone with those-those THINGS! Those aren’t children! Those are mutant little creatures that live to torment good women like me!”_ she screeched again stabbing her finger into Charles chest. He thanked god for layers right now because he could feel the sharp point begin to bruise with each jab.

 

“Please Melanie, you are a excellent tutor and the children love you-”

 

 _“LOVE TO TORTURE ME!”_   she interjected. Charles raised his hands in peace not wanting to argue.

 

“Nevertheless! Maybe if I talked to them and discussed the important of your lessons and disciplinary actions involving disobedience-”

 

“ _NO!_ ” she screeched again. _“Lose my number Charles Xavier! I will never again teach those delinquents! I’m quitting, leaving Westchester and moving back to Texas where I can properly arm myself incase those little devils ever come looking for ME!”_

And with that Melanie Coulter, the children’s tutor for the last week and _third_ of this month, grabbed her belongings, tossed her brief case back against her rear and stormed out cracking her heels across the marble floor. If he didn’t already know that Melanie barely weighed over 120lbs he could have sworn she did in fact crack the marble. She turned grabbing the door handle and slammed it with all her might. The door kicked closed and shook everything around him, the chandelier above quivered along with the decorate suits of armor.

 

Charles suddenly felt the distinctive urge to wet himself.

 

With a trembling sigh Charles collected himself and put on the best _yourintonsofshit_ face he could manage and headed up the stairs. He took a sharp right and headed towards the study that he had sectioned off for the after school tutoring sessions. He caught the distinctive laugh of Raven and sped up bursting in through the open door with conviction.

 

“What in gods name did you children do to that poor woman!” he yelled. He had confronted the four male charges were in all states of emotions. Sean, the curly red head was sprawled across the couch; his feet kicked up on the arm rests appearing to be calm, cool and collected. Darwin, the olive skinned boy was sitting in his desk with his head in his hand shaking in back and forth. Hank, the lanky awkward one, looked like he was going to piss his pants the second Charles made it into the room and Alex, the blond defiant boy was leaned against the tutor’s desk with a smug look of satisfaction. Before he could question them again, Raven’s distinctive snort shot through the room as she struggled to hold herself up from laughing so hard. Charles gave her a quizzical look mouthing ‘what?’ to her.

 

Raven continued to belly laugh stumbling behind the desk and pulling with her the large leather chair. The chair provided her with support as she nearly dropped to her knees pulling the chair with her twice before she turned it towards Charles.

 

His eyebrows hit his hairline as he looked down towards the leather chair, the _antique_ leather chair.

 

“They glued her ass to the chair!” and with that Raven lost all composure and dropped to her knees laughing hysterically. At one point she was on her back rolling back and forth.

 

Charles just continued to stare at the chair which had the remainders of a cream colored pencil skirt, a perfect heart shape at been ripped from the fabric. He reached over and tested the material and found that it wouldn’t budge.

 

It had been super glued.

 

No _wonder_ she stormed out in a huff.

 

Charles stifled the temptation to laugh because that would only encourage Alex to do it again to the next tutor.

 

Oh god, the _next_ tutor. Charles rubbed his face and let out a defeated sigh with Raven still rolling on the ground laughing.

 

“Let me get my date book…” he mumbled. Time to search for the _fourth_ tutor of the month of November for his evil charges.

 

Four hours alter and over fifty phone calls, Charles still hadn’t received a call back from _anyone_.

 

 **How Erik’s Morning Began**

“Erik, I want a divorce.”

 

Erik nearly slopped his soup all over his turtle neck when those words escaped his wife’s lips. He lifted his head, eyes wide in shock, spoon inches from his lips and a death grip on the bowl of his Chunky Beef Stew.

 

“Pardon?”

 

“You heard me!” Magda’s arms cross over her chest as her hip cocked out in that irritating manner. It always meant Erik was on the shit list that night, “I want a divorce!”

 

Erik felt the tension in the air build as everyone in the staff room froze. Magda always had a flare for the dramatics so of course she decided to discuss this while the staff was in the lounge on lunch. The silence throughout the room was deafening. Last year the janitorial staff made the staff lounge sound proof so that the students screeching and walking wouldn’t disrupt the teacher’s lunch or breaks. Unfortunately it had grown so quiet in this longue that the echoing of the student voices and footsteps were pulled to the forefront.

 

Erik turned his head to see how everyone was reacting to this, a few people turned their heads the second Erik’s eyes caught theirs, were as some just stared dumbfounded at Magda for the ballsy move she had completed. In fact Stan was inches away from burning his hand on scolding coffee before Erik snapped at him. Stan stopped pouring but not staring; he actually missed his mouth and dumped the coffee down his front.

 

“Magda, please _Liebling_ let’s talk about this. Maybe somewhere private?” Erik clenched his jaw, words seething through his teeth as he struggled to keep his composure. _Where the fuck had this come from?_

 Magda’s eyes narrowed and her foot stomped, “I’m done talking Erik, I want out of this marriage,” she demanded.

 

“Done talking?! We haven’t even started – what in hells name brought this on!” Erik yelled back. Magda stood her ground as she clenched her hands around her biceps, the rage and hate seeping out from her pores. Erik noticed a few staff member backing up against the wall in attempts to get away.

 

“We have _talked_ Erik! You were just too busy to listen! You never come home! You’re always locked away in that damned _Büro_ of yours! Where were you when I needed you?!” she screeched.  Erik wasn’t going to take this sitting down. With a crash he dropped his spoon and slammed his bowl.

 

“Where was I?! I was working, making some money for us and our family so that we wouldn’t have to live in a hole like we had to before!”

 

“We have enough money Erik! You were just trying to get away from me! From my needs!”

 

“ _Bullshit_!” Erik bellowed, “I’ve bent over backwards for you are your needs!”

 

“When was the last time we had sex?” Erik heard everyone in the room inhale and hold on for dear life. A few people ducked out of the room fast and slammed the door on their way out. At least some people had the decency to leave.

 

Erik felt his jaw pop as he struggled to keep from lunging at her. His fist curled and knuckles went white, the distinct red coiled around his throat and made its way across his face.

 

“You’re bringing this up now?” he said quietly. His jaw was clenched so tight he thought he was going to shatter his teeth.

 

“Now is as good of time as any! Seriously Erik, you haven’t touched me since the kids got separate rooms!”

 

“NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING!” he yelled moving away from the table and advancing on his wife.

 

“It’s always, ‘Oh I’m too tired’, or ‘Oh the kids might hear us’!” he said in his best impersonation of his wife which caused her own face to burn with rage.

 

“Calling the kettle black, aren’t we Erik! How many times did I have to go out and buy those damned videos you like just to get you stiff enough!”

 

“ **Enough!** ” Erik roared. Magda flinched, but only for a moment. Erik felt his rage bubble and boil in his blood. He wanted to throttle her, and he could feel his hands uncoil to do so. She had come to his place of work, embarrassed him in front of his colleagues and now was parading their sex life in front of everyone. It took every ounce of willpower not to snap. He continued to stare Magda down, her own eyes faltering for only a moment to allow for tears to build up. His heart cracked at the sight of it all. He never liked it when Magda cried, but he couldn’t ignore what she had just done.

 

“No Erik, I won’t shut my mouth any longer. I want a divorce, I need someone who will take care of me, who will love me,” he could hear the quivering in her voice as she spoke. The predator inside of him told him to attack now while he had the upper hand, while she was weak. The husband told him to let it be.

 

“Who was he?” Magda looked genuinely stunned.

 

“Pardon?”

 

“The man you were having an affair with and that brought this all on. Who. Is. He?” Erik leaned in and annunciated each word at the end driving home his suspicions that his wife had been unfaithful. Magda lips clamped in a firm line as she turned her gaze away from Erik. He couldn’t help but give a toothy grin as his wife was the first to flinch and gave away her position.

 

“This isn’t about him Erik, this is about you and me and how I can’t be married to you anymore-”

 

“Who. Is. He.” Erik pressed again getting into Magda’s bubble as he spoke. She backed up momentarily before hardening.

 

“Mike.”

 

“Mike?”

 

“Mike Carter.”

 

“ _Gay_ Mike?!” Erik screeched. Magda immediately went on the defensive shoving Erik back away from her, her face flared in rage at his accusation.

 

“He’s not _gay,_ he’s eccentric,” she yelled back at him.

 

“No Magda, he’s gay!”

 

“Is not!”

 

“Is to, him and Stan were caught fucking in the janitors closet at the last year’s Christmas party!”

 

“Hey! You swore-”

 

“ **Shut up Stan!** ” Erik screamed at his colleague. Stan clamped his mouth shut and tried to hide his face behind his coffee mug as other staff members turned their gazes towards him. Erik didn’t care that he might have just ousted a fellow teacher. He wanted to kill Mike, rip him limb from limb and make him suffer for touching his wife. Sure things were rocky, but that was marriage. You fixed it. Or at least Erik thought you could.

 

Magda’s face dropped. He could see the exhaustion cracking through the mask she had built. His wife was tired of him, and couldn’t take it anymore. Guilt flooded his body as his chest ached. Her eyes began to fill with unshed tears and Erik made a move to hug her.

 

Magda’s arm snapped out and caught his wrist.

 

“No Erik, you had your chance to do something about this and you missed it. I’m moving back into my parents and I’m taking Wanda and Pietro. I’m not heartless, you can see your children but I can’t go home to you anymore…” she said holding back the sobs that threatened to break out of her chest. Erik’s eyes softened and pulled his hand back. Dropping him into his pockets Erik gave his wife space as she re-composed herself. She brushed her hair away from her eyes and inhaled deeply settling the tears. She gave Erik a curt nod and headed towards the door which opened before she got a chance to touch it.

 

In walked Mike Carter completely unaware of what had just happened.

 

“Hey guys. Oh! Hi Magda, how have you been? – Why is Erik looking at me like that?”

 

Before anyone could scream at Mike to run, Erik had launched himself over the staff table and latched onto Mike. Mike screeched the girliest screech as he flung the door open toppling out and was then slammed into the opposing lockers by over 200lbs of muscle and Erik Lehnsherr. His hands found their way around Mike’s throat as he began to squeeze bashing his head off the lockers and causing the students to run screaming. The staff piled out of the lounge grabbing and pulling at Erik to get him off Mike, but whenever they managed to get a hand off of Mike, Erik just took the opportunity to punch Mike in the face. This went on for about five minutes until one of the students managed to get the physical education and wood working teacher, along with the janitors to come and _pry_ Erik off of Mike.

 

And even then they strained to do so.

 

Mike had a broken cheek bone, bruised larynx, busted eye socket and a bruised kidney. Erik wasn’t fired, but was asked to take some time off to deal with his “anger issues” as the Principal had put it. Magda had collected the children, packed an overnight kit and headed to her parents for the week, leaving Erik in an empty house with a sledge hammer and a stocked liquor cabinet.

 

 **How Erik and Charles Met**

Charles hated chain stores. He felt that there was no soul to the big corporate buildings, were as a local grocer or store owner took pride and care in their business. Unfortunately, the only places that were open at 11 o’clock at night on Sunday were the big chain-stores that could afford to be open.

 

Charles originally came just to grab a bag of 2% milk and some cream for his tea. Now he was stuck on the phone with Raven who was relaying demands from the children about snacks and movies they wanted him to pick up.

 

“Tell Alex there is no way on god’s green earth he is getting red bull. Not after what happened the last time he and Sean drank a twenty-four case…” Both boys had managed to hang most of the laundry from the chandelier in the lobby, pull everything from the cupboards and set it on the counter and overfill the bathtub with bubblegum scented bubble bath. You can still see the pink stain in the boy’s bathroom from the amount they poured in.

 

He could hear Alex and Sean arguing about what substitutions they wanted for the energy drinks but none of the options sounded appealing.

 

“How about I just grab what I left the house to grab and then head home so we can finish watching the movie?”

 

“Oh that? We turned it off, it was lame,” Raven said dryly.

 

“Lame!” Charles stopped in the middle of the isle and turned to glare at his phone, “I have you know that film won a dozen academy awards!”

 

“Charles, I don’t care how perfect you think it is, but _Chicago_ is lame and boring. You’re the only one in this household who enjoys Broadway musicals,”

 

“You’re all just a bunch of uncultured hooligans…” he mumbled.

 

“All I hear is _bitchbitchbitch._ Now, go to the movie aisle and grab us _Wanted_ , jiffy pop and a couple bottles of coke before we all die of boredom.”

 

Charles made a face and mimicked Ravens voice to himself, who immediately snapped back at him to stop whinnying and to hurry up. Charles never felt so childish in his life.

 

After getting lost, then finding, the losing the movie aisle, Charles managed to grab the last few items on his list and then proceeded to head to the check out. There were only three women standing at the cash, two had costumers they were attending to while the other scrubbed her station. Her light was still lit signaling that she was open but Charles was always wary of interrupting people when they were working.

 

Charles made his way slowly towards the cash clearing his throat so that the woman would look up.

 

“Uhm, are you open?” he asked.

 

“Oh yes, of course,” she said wiping her hands on her pants. She straightened her blouse and name tag, brushing her brown hair from her face. She turned towards her cash punching some numbers in as Charles settled his purchases on the counter. Standing with his hands in his pockets he watched as the woman rang through his items. It was awfully quiet and although Charles enjoyed silence – he hated awkward silence. Taking a quick peek at her name tag he decided to make some small talk.

 

“So… Magda, how has your evening been?”

 

The woman gave a soft smile. Charles immediately frowned at the sight because he knew that look; something was troubling the poor woman deeply.

 

“Oh you know it has had its ups and downs...” she said softly.

 

“Really care to share?”  The woman gave a soft shake and a chuckle.

 

“Oh please, no one wants to listen to my problems,”

 

“On the contrary, listening to people is what I do for a living darling. I’m a therapist and I’m willing to provide a free session,” he said with a comforting smile. Charles had originally gone into school for genetics and he still had a true passion for the science, but after hard years of bullying he decided he could help people in the best possible way by giving them someone to talk to about their problems.

 

Magda turned to look up at Charles with disbelieving eyes. He reached out and touched her shoulder, his thumb rubbing her muscle to ease the tension. It was by all means platonic, nothing sexual about it.

 

“If you don’t have the time now, here is my card and feel free to call me anytime.”

 

Charles retrieved a plain white business card from his sweater-vest (he’d heard it all before thanks to Raven, he knew just how _tacky_ his sweater-vests were) and handed it off to Magda who took it with a smile.

 

“Thank you.” She then proceeded to ring through the rest of Charles purchase which he paid cash for.

 

Charles headed out the automatic doors double-checking his receipt for miscalculations. He didn’t want to seem like a technophobe, but he never trusted those damned machines what ever happened to intellect.

 

That was when he heard the distinct sound of metal against metal. Or rather metal smashing into metal. Charles looked up and nearly died of cardiac arrest at the sight.

 

A man was on top of  Charles' silver ford focus, _bashing_ it apart with a sledge hammer. He watched him pull back the hammer and slam it with all his might into the windshield of his poor little car. The man had already gone to town on the rest of his car. The driver’s side door was dented in and missing its window. The hood was dented and bent up; the latch long gone and flopping open in the wind. His right signals and lights were all bashed it; the plastic coating gone and the bulb exposed or rather what was left of the bulbs. His back window was none existence and he caught the sight of his trunk door lying on the ground. All the while he did this he cursed and swore using every vulgar dirty word in the English language and a few in some other languages too.

 

Charles thought he might have to take a shower after listening to this man, who was now bouncing on the roof before he screamed _four_ and pulled the sledge hammer back down punched a hole through it. Charles didn’t dare look at the other side of his car.

 

“ _WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING!”_ Charles screeched. He didn’t think his voice could go that high, but it did and it stopped the man from making the hole in his roof into a sunroof.

 

“Bashing in my ex-wife’s car,” he said casually before pulling the sledge hammer back to have another go at roof.

 

“Stop! That’s my car you dolt!” Charles yelled back running up to his car in an attempt to grab the sledge hammer from the crazed man. Unfortunately Charles a good few feet shorter than the giant that stood atop his car. Charles would have admired the view, he was tall, strong, broad and his body was coated with a thin layer of sweat from the havoc he wreaked on the vehicle, but instead he was trying not to climb up there and throttle him.

 

“No I’m pretty sure this is my ex-wife’s car,” he said with certainty. It wasn’t until Charles was yanking on his pant leg did he notice that the man was swaying and the distinct smell of scotch wafted from him.

 

Oh god the moron was drunk as a skunk.

 

“I beg to differ, the insurance papers and ownership in my glove compartment clearly state that I own what is left of this ford focus, _no thanks to you_.” Charles voice snapped with venom, spitting the last few words out to try and get the man’s attention.

 

He crouched down for a moment, his knees bending and arm coming to prop up on his knee while the other gripped the sledge hammer. He came so close to Charles he could almost tell you the year of Scotch he binged on which caused Charles’s face to flush. The man was extremely attractive, bright blue-green eyes, some soft stubble, strong jaw and cheek bones, oh yes. This was Charles’ type of man, the one he sought out at clubs and bars and then took home to have his way with (when the children were asleep or away of course). The man opened his lips to say something but he was interrupted by the vilest of screams that shook Charles’s very skeletal structure. He feared that the noise would disrupt the natural rhythm of his heart and kill him.

 

 **  
_“ERIK!!!”_   
**

**  
  
**

Charles hand went to his heart as the man stood tall again, his lips pulling back to show off the rows of white teeth.

 

“Speak of the bitch!” he called out which caused Charles to turn and see who had let out that shrill cry. It was Magda, the cashier who had rang Charles through and if looks could kill Charles would have been vaporized immediately.

 

“What the _fick_ are you doing _du spast!_ ” she screamed. The man (now known as Erik) gave her a shrug before swinging the sledge hammer from side to side.

 

“Beating the fuck out of your stupid car, what does it look like I’m doing?”

 

Magda struggled to keep herself composed but she was failing brilliantly as the veins in her throat threatened to burst.

 

“You-you- _du arschgefickter hurensohn_! That’s not my car!”

 

Erik looked genuinely confused.

 

“No, this is your car.” To prove a point Magda pulled her keys from pockets and hit the alarm on her automatic start.

 

A loud horn boomed through the parking lot causing both Charles and Erik to turn towards the noise. Sure enough across the parking lot in the ‘employee only’ parking was a replica of the silver ford focus Erik was standing on, except the license plate was a different number and it had a sticker from the elementary school both Erik’s children went to.

 

“ _Scheiße_.”

 

Charles watched as Magda struggled to keep herself from jumping off the deep end and stabbing her husband in the throat with her keys.

 

“I thought we could handle this like adults Erik, but this-this is just it. You will _never_ see your children _again!_ if you’re going to continue to act like this!” she said her entire body shaking with anger and rage.

 

Erik had dismounted from the car and tossed the sledge hammer. He stormed towards Magda, the scent of booze filtering off of him and the rage present in his eyes.

 

“Don’t you **_dare_** threaten to take my children from me you _die schlampe-_ ”

 

“ **That’s enough!** ” Charles snapped. He had seen Erik’s anger grow and the signals of violence were hard to miss especially when he curled his fist back into a ball. Charles put himself between Magda and Erik, pressing his hands firmly on Erik’s chest and pushing Magda back.

 

“I don’t give a damn what this woman has done to you, and I’ve put up with both your vulgar comments for so long but if you touch her, so help me god I will have to take matters into my own hands,” it was Charles’s best bluff because if this man really wanted to throttle his wife Charles would be a bug in his way. But he had witness too many clients of his walk out of his office and come back with a broken face or a busted lip. He would not let this woman be a victim.

 

Erik glared at the man who stood between his wife and him. Who was he to challenge him! It took standing there for a few minutes to allow everything to click in. He almost hit Magda. Correction he _was_ going to hit Magda, at least until this man stood between them and was willing to defend his wife. When had they come to this, to Erik bashing in his wife’s car in a fit of drunken fury and nearly bringing himself to attack her.

 

“I’m sorry…” he mumbled softly.

 

“Sorry doesn’t cut it Erik!” Magda snapped.

 

“Please, let’s all calm down and try and reach a suitable solution.” Charles pleaded. Magda was still high off the rush of confronting Erik.

 

“I’ll give you a suitable solution; you’ll be receiving a call from my lawyers in the morning Erik!” With that Magda turned and stormed off heading back into the department store leaving Erik and Charles.

 

“Oh yes, I’m fine as well – no need to worry it’s just a vehicle and my only ride back home…” he said to particularly no-one. It was just the thought that counted. After all, it was her crazed husband who smashed in _his_ vehicle. Charles let out a deep sigh, turning to back to the wreckage.

 

Sitting propped up next to his car was Erik who had currently stuck his head in between his legs. His entire body was tense but Charles caught sight of the dead stare he had. Charles couldn’t help reach out and pat Erik on the shoulder. The man had been in a blind rage, from what Charles had deduced from the encounter this man was obliviously going through a messy divorce in which the children were being used as leverage. He could see both points of view, but with the wife having stormed off, Charles was left with the grieving husband.

 

Even with Charles rubbing his shoulder, Erik made no noise and no movement. Charles just let out another deep sigh.

 

“This day couldn’t get any worse,” and with that he bumped his head off the side door… which then proceeded to activate the side-air bags and sound off the ghastly alarm system that failed to sound while Erik was beating on it.

 

Charles just closed his eyes and cursed to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would have had this up earlier but my power supply on my computer keeps failing and I've had to re-write this chapter twice =( But after kicking and pleading I managed to get it done! I hope everyone enjoys !

After kicking, screaming and a near attempt with the sledge hammer Charles managed to get the alarm on his car to cease. Although he was still at a loss of how to get home after this. The tires weren't damaged and it was only his right lights that were out, so essentially he _could_ just drive it home.

However luck chose to screw him over one last time by preventing the car from starting. After about five minutes of letting his frustration build he proceeded to do battle with his steering wheel, yelling and cursing at it in an attempt to relieve some tension.

Erik had finally fallen out of his catatonic state and used the sledge hammer to un-dent the hood so that he could get to the engine. Charles leaned out the shattered window watching the man work as he focused all of his rage into concentrating on getting the vehicle to work, at one point he saw Erik actually punch the engine block. The man made no sound but he could see the blossoming red forming from where he no doubt broke the skin and busted a knuckle or two.

"Are you alright?"

" _Peachy_ , try turning it over," Erik called out. Charles complied by turning the key, he cranked on it pumping the gas in hopes it would start.

" _Come on you god forsaken hunk of scrap metal. Work Damnit!_ " he hissed between his teeth. The car roared to life and Charles let out a cry clapping his hands. He leaned his head out the window towards Erik who was trying to find a way to latch the hood down.

"Truly brilliant my friend, you seem to have the magic touch when it comes to these damned contraptions!" Charles beamed a smile towards Erik who seemed to duck the compliment heading to what was left of his trunk. He came back moments later with the bungee cords he kept in his roadside kit. After a few tries Erik managed to strap the hood down and tossed the trunk lid into the trunk. Charles simply sat in the driver’s seat giddy as could be that his car still worked. Lucky for him as well when Erik had smashed his windshield he left a big enough hole on the driver’s side so that he could see the road unobstructed. The passenger’s side door opened with a creak and only a few inches which caused Erik to squeeze his male form into the car and plop next to Charles.

"Where to my friend?" He asked. Erik seemed to fall back into silence as he memorized every crack and groove in the smashed windshield.

"I can't go home," or rather Erik didn't want to go home, all that was left for him there was a empty liquor cabinet and unpleasant memories. Charles took that as a cue to simply take him back to Westchester and they'd deal with the situation in the morning.

On the way to Charles’ s home both men had fallen on a first name basis as well Charles learned that Erik was actually a high school teacher that specialized in mathematics, Erik in turn learned that Charles was a therapist that specialized in adolescents with conduct disorders. He didn’t envy Charles’s job.

After the car stalled out twice, both times Erik managed to get it working again but only because he had proceeded to pummel the engine, both Charles and Erik made it to Westchester. Thank gods because the second he pulled in front of the ancestral home the car made a defeated cry and stalled one last time, smoke billowing from the dented hood. Charles gave a sigh and ran his fingers across the dash.

"We had a good run, you and I. You will be missed Ford Focus," and with that Charles crawled out the driver’s side window. After he closed it getting in the first time, they discovered that the lock had jammed preventing Charles from escaping. He stumbled out of the car trying not to catch his clothing on the broken glass. He re-composed himself dusting off the shards that stuck to him.

Charles was about call Erik out of the car when the front door opened and Raven came stalking out.

"Charles it’s like 2 o'clock, the boys have been trying to entertain themselves, you know how many light saber duels with your grandfathers swords I've had to stop-OH MY GOD CHARLES!" she screeched after finally seeing the destroyed Ford Focus. She raced over to her brother, Charles was attempting to calm his crazed sister but she was too busy examining him for injuries. Charles kept slapping her hands away as she un-tucked his sweater vest and pulled up the back trying to get a look at his naked flesh.

"Dear gods Raven, stop man-handling me! I'm fine!" he yelled slapping her away one last time as she went to yank up his pant leg. Charles's face flushed looking back to the car hoping that Erik wasn't watching this awkward display. Raven finally ceased her examination and allowed Charles to re tuck his garments, her hand coming out to point at the wreckage.

"Fine?! Explain what the hell happened then," she yelled. Yelling must have been a popular form of expression today since everyone seemed to be doing it; it was starting to grade on Charles's nerves.

Although as for an explanation rather than the truth Charles was stuck. His cheeks puffed out as he held his breath trying to come up with a logical explanation and the first thing that came to mind was-

"Squirrel," Charles didn't have to be a mind reader to hear the _bullshit_ that echoed from Raven's face.

"A squirrel ... did _that_ to your car," she asked pointing again the direction of the wreckage.

"Dastardly little thing, jumped out in front of my car thought it was just a small creature so I presumed to run it over although it seemed to do much more damaged than I thought..." he said with the biggest _shiteating_ grin he could manage.

"You hit a squirrel..."

"Yes, yes I did,"

"I call bullshit,"

"Oh come now Raven, it is entirely plausible that a squirrel could have done that damage to my car,"

"Oh I'm not talking about the squirrel smashing the shat out of your car, I'm talking about how you could have hit a small animal and not be an emotional wreck right now." Charles's face flamed hoping to all the gods in the universe that Erik wasn't intensely listening to this conversation.

"Whatever do you mean!" his voice squeaking as he pulled at his collar.

"I mean, the last time you ran over something you pulled over, cried for about five minutes and then made me get the spade out of your roadside kit so we could bury the damned thing," She stated with a hand on her hip. Charles reached up and covered his face out of embarrassment. Yes he had cried and yes he had made Raven bury it. He had his license for about two weeks when that occurred and he was terrified because the small creature had bounced off his windshield smearing it with blood. Raven was about to lay into him about lying when Erik chose the perfect moment to squeeze out of the car.

Raven's rant ceased and the small line of drool was making itself apparent down her lip.

"Play nice Raven," he scolded.

"Oh I'll play nice, no need to trash your car and lie about it later to cover up that stud, you could have just told me you were grabbing a quick-y!" she hushed to him, her grin growing larger and larger as Erik advanced on them.

"I did no such thing, this poor lad was down on his luck so I offered him a ride and place to stay," he said through clenched teeth.

"Ya I bet you did," Raven said with a wink. Charles shot a death glare her way before Erik came to stand next to Charles. Raven took note at how much taller than both of them this man was, she fought to keep her tongue in her mouth, after all if Charles had him that meant he preferred a different type of experience.  But she couldn’t help but flirt

Charles caught the way Raven leered and cleared his throat trying to catch his sister’s attention.

"Erik, this is my sister Raven - Raven this is Erik..." His voice died on his lips as he realized he didn't know the man’s last name.

"Lehnsherr," Erik had provided his hand coming out to greet her, "Pleasure to meet you."

Raven took his hand in hers shaking it. Charles watched the silent conversation both Erik and Raven were having, well that was the polite term. What was going on looked more like _eyefucking_ on both parts. Charles felt a burn in his chest as he cleared his throat. Jealousy wasn't a pretty colour on him. Both Erik and Raven broke apart and smiled at one another leaving Charles to roll his eyes.

"Raven, could you be a darling and round up the children and herd them to their rooms?" Raven gave him a curt nod before waving at Erik and leaving both men on the door step.

"So that's your sister?" Erik questioned.

"Adopted, but nevertheless my sister - we've been together for years,"

"She looks familiar," Erik questioned. Charles's eyes went wide and decided to divert his topic. He'd had a few dates who met his sister commented on her remarkable resemblance to a certain adult actress. Most dates ended right there with Charles's head butting his date for making lewd comments towards his sister. If he tried that with Erik he figured he might knock himself out on that mans delicious forehead.

"Anyway! Let me set up a guest bed for you! Come in!" He said with a smile allowing Erik to enter into his home.

Erik had been in some nice houses, but it was nothing compared to Xavier's home. It was dark outside so the blackness hide the vastness of the mansions architecture. It had true wood paneling, not the fake stuff his old house had, spiraling stair cases, chandeliers, tasteful art and decorations. At first Erik assumed he had walked into the wrong house. He caught the distinct shouting and running as two young men ran past the upper level racing each other. The tall blond boy checked the red head firmly into one of the walls shaking the large portrait that hung there.

"Alex and Sean! Yet again must I remind you - you break it you buy it!" He called after the two boys as they took off. Moments later another two boys came walking and talking with Raven who gave a firm flick of her blond hair in Erik's direction.

Charles had the strongest urge to get the sheep sheers from the garage.

"Four boys I see?"

"Yes, foster children - I became a parent three years ago... haven't had a day of peace since," he said with a chuckle. Erik turned giving him a delightful grin.

"I feel your pain," he said before sobering and remembering that he had lost his children. Or at least was on his way to losing his children. Charles's sensed his dismay and clamped a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Come my friend; let’s show you to your room."

Charles managed to find the linen closet and grab fresh sheets escorting Erik to his temporary room. On the way they passed the other occupants room, the distinct sound of loud music booming from one door. Charles proceeded to lean over and rapt his knuckles against the wood.

"Alex, turn off that distasteful music and go to sleep or else you'll be stuck on laundry duty!" Within seconds the music was off and the light that peeked out from under the door had vanished. Charles was smug with himself as he came to the next room opening it up to show off the small guest bedroom that was to be Eriks. It had an adjoining bathroom, a dresser across from the bare mattress, and two end tables with decorative lamps. Charles went to work dressing the bed and fluffing the pillows as Erik watched.

Once he was finished he gave the pillows one last slap before standing tall and walking towards Erik.

“Take a seat and I’ll be back shortly,” Charles said motioning to the bed. Erik did as he was told a bit cautious his body closed off and hands shoved in his pockets while Charles dashed out the door and returned a few moments with a small white box, a distinctive red cross dashed across the front telling him that it was a medical kit. But why would he need-

“ _Ow!_ ” Erik cried as Charles took a hold of his hand. Oh right, he almost forgot he punched the engine block on Charles’s piece of shit car. It had yet to scab but the skin was pink and fleshy, throbbing with tiny blood vessels. Charles took Erik’s hands in his own and gently caressed his knuckles running his fingers over the bone and bruised tissue examining it for anything. Erik felt something tugging in his chest, the gentleness of his touch reminded him of Magda, when she had done the very same thing before they were married and still young and in love. He stiffed in at the thought and buried them under the seething hatred he had developed towards his _ex_ wife. Charles had cleaned the wound and wrapped in gauze and gently padded the material before packing up his things from Erik’s bed.

“Well I’m not that kind of a physician but I have dealt with my share of broken bones and you seem to have none, just a very sore hand,”

“The car had it coming,” Erik mumbled and Charles couldn’t stop the grin that spread from ear to ear at Erik’s comment. They both stood there, the awkward silence falling over them as Charles unsure to stay and make small talk or leave him to his rest. When Erik let out a deep and throaty yawn Charles had his answer.

"All set then, there might be a pair of pajama's in the dresser there, terribly sorry if none of them fit but they should do for now," Charles turned to exit the room stopping for a moment to stare back at Erik who gave him a grateful smile.

"Thank you Charles, I don't know how I'll be able to pay you back,"

"We will discuss that in the morning - as for now, sleep tight, if you need anything my room is just down the hall last one on the left," and with that Charles disappeared.

Erik managed to find a pair of pajama pants although they hung extremely low and the pant legs road up making them look more like floods than pants. He wasn't one to complain at the moment and crawled into the bed settling down before finally falling asleep.

In the morning, which were normally _very_ early especially with rambunctious children like Wanda and Pietro, Erik’s body was notorious for simply operating on auto-pilot. In the bedroom back at the home he and Magda shared, if he were to stand up and walk straight he would end up out into the hallway heading towards his screaming children’s room.

In Charles’s house however he ended up running face first into a solid wall. He felt his entire body jerk with the force that he hit it with. He gasped hands going to his face and covering his nose, pleading that he hadn’t accidently broken it. Again with the auto-pilot function, Erik’s bedroom lacked end tables; instead the lights were screwed into the wall beside the headboard.

Erik was meaning to dash back into bed but instead ran directly into the end table, sacking himself in the groin at the same time.

All pain that was located in his face immediately was drawn to his bruised genitals, his hands coming to cup himself before he fell face first into the bed, groaning.

This was not a good way to start the day.

After nursing himself for a few minutes Erik managed to pull himself up and look around to try and remember where he was. The hamsters must have jumped back on their wheel because it all came rushing back.

Magda asking for a divorce. Finding out she was sleeping with _gay_ Mike. Beating the living crap out of _gay_ Mike. Drinking the liquor cabinet. Getting the stupid idea to bash Magda’s car in. Bashing in Magda’s car. Finding out the car he bashed in wasn’t Magda’s car. _Ohgodohgod._

It finally clicked that he was at Charles’s house, the poor sap whose car he had taken apart with a sledge hammer. He felt the urge to return to bed and not wake up, but he couldn’t hide in Charles’ guest bed forever. Manning up, Erik headed towards the bathroom, wanting to grab a shower before he headed out. Reaching out he turned the taps and held his hand out in preparation for the water although nothing came out. He could hear the rumbling in the pipes as the water struggled to find its way out and into the tub but it just couldn’t make it there. With a sigh he reached over and tried the sink. No such luck either. Tempting fate he lifted the toilet set to check, it still had water and giving it a testing flush proved that at least that worked.

Erik decided to abandon his attempts at showering and re-dressed in his clothes from yesterday and then headed out the door. Erik had managed to get lost; opening at least three doors he thought would lead him to a kitchen or living room of some sorts but instead was just filled with linen. Erik strained his hearing trying to pick up sounds of activity or life to lead him towards people.

“For heaven’s sake Alex! How many times have I told you, unless you are a disproportionate midget, you are not fitting into that armor, its decorative for a reason!”

A left it was then.

Erik found himself heading down a long hallway that led to an open archway the distinctive smell of food wafting towards him. Erik hurried his steps breaking through the thresh hold of the archway to find Charles slaving himself in the kitchen while Raven sat at the island picking at the small fruit platter before her. Charles had turned for a split second and slapped his sister with a wooden spoon, her fingers snapping back and giving him a rotten look.

“I know you, if you start now there will be nothing left but small skeletons of that fruit platter so hands off till I have breakfast finished,” he said pointedly before turning back to the stove, all the while Raven stuck her tongue out and snuck one last grape before returning to reading whatever was sitting in front of her.

Erik cleared his throat which both the sibling’s attention up and out. Raven gave a sly smirk which Erik simply returned as a wave. She as cute, attractive was more like it and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had recognized her from somewhere before. He had noticed that she flirted and where he had tried to not reciprocate his male-ish tendencies got the better of him.

Charles turned on his heels and offered a bright smile.

“Erik! Glad to see you’re awake, I hope you slept well?” Erik simply nodded. He did have a rather peaceful sleep but that might have just been because of the amount of liquor he had ingested. Charles rounded the island and moved to place two plates filled with steaming food onto the dining room table Erik stood in front of.

 _Ohgodwhatwascharleswearing?_

He bit the side of his cheek stifling the urge to chuckle as Charles came into view wearing a pink frilly apron. His hand came up to cover his mouth but it didn’t stop his shoulders from quaking.

Charles caught sight of this and stood tall crossing his arms over his chest.

“Ah yes, go ahead, I’ve heard it all before. The children bought it for me last Christmas, needless to say it does its job well, but it does not go unnoticed that is it frilly and pink,” Erik let himself laugh at the apron wiping a small tear from his eye as Charles patted him on the back.

“Raven if you please, my voice cannot take much more abuse,” Charles said pulling more and more plates with food and placing them on the table in front of Erik motioning him to sit down.

“FONT AND CENTER DELIQUENTS!” Raven screeched. Erik had to cover his ears where as Charles just continued on filling and setting the table.

“Raven, they are not delinquents, they are teenage boys in a convential stage of moral reasoning...”

“That’s just your fancy therapist talk for delinquents,” Raven stated. Charles proceeded to reach over and gently tap her head with the wooden spoon which got a yelp and Raven instantly fixing her hair.

Within moments all four boys appeared in the arch way of the kitchen. The red head was wearing a helmet, his hands gripping around the neck trying to pull it. Charles turned and gave a _flabbergasted_ look towards the boy.

“Bloody hell Sean! ... again?” This had happened before. Erik was beginning to wonder how Charles managed not to kill them, he hadn’t even formally met any of Charles’ foster children and already he wanted to throttle them.

“Alex bet me twenty bucks that I couldn’t fit in it!” he yelled pointing towards the blond boy.

“Well if Alex told you to go jump off the large satellite dish off the grounds would you?”

Sean actually seemed to be thinking about before turning to Alex with a smug smile.

“One hundred bucks and I’ll do it.”

Charles gave him one of those looks that said that all three of them would have a discussion later. Erik turned to stare at the red head, who continued to try and pull the small helmet off his head.

“Do you have a lard, or Crisco?” Erik suddenly asked. Charles gave him a quizzical look before Erik pointed in the direction of the struggling red head. Within moments Charles had a large slab of Crisco at Erik’s disposal.

“Sit,” he ordered and much to Charles and Raven’s surprise Sean did. Charles couldn’t help but feel the prickle of jealousy, Sean wouldn’t sit still for a moment, let alone sit down for him until he had resort to idol threats but Erik also had this commanding aura that told people _you’dbetterlistenorillkillyou_.

Erik pulled open the Crisco and grabbed a chunk smearing it across the metal lips of the helmet and then around Sean chin before he wiped his hands on his pants and proceeded to pull. At first Sean protested screaming about how ‘crazy Crisco man was going to pop his head off’ but then his chin slipped free and in moments Sean’s fluffy red hair was visible again and Erik was holding the helmet.

Erik reached over handing the relic to Charles who gave a smile. Erik couldn’t help but reciprocate, he was slowly finding Charles’s smiles to be deeply infectious, even after the night they’d had he could still smile and joke about his hunk of crap car, _which was only a hunk of crap because of me_ he kept reminding himself.

“Were in heaven’s name did you learn that little skill?”

“You’d be surprised how many times one infant can get their head stuck between crib poles ... it came to a point where I had to simply take the crib apart and build a box because every other day Pietro was managing to shove his head through them,” he said with a deep chuckle remembering the good times of his marriage when he and Magda laughed over trying to get their sons head free.

“Well, that is invaluable knowledge seeing as how these poor suits take a beating. Speaking of which, you and Alex can spend the day cleaning and reassembling the suits back onto their stands since you two had such fun disassembling them,”

Both boys groaned and fell into their seats. Charles just gave them both a small smile and clapped his hands on their shoulders.

“You’d think after taking them apart for the _fourth_ time you’d learn.”

Raven moved from her seat at the island and over towards the dining room table with her brother taking a seat next to Charles at the head of the table. Hank and Darwin followed soon after with Hank sitting as close as possible to Raven.

Erik had seen a lot of Sean and Alex since those two seemed to be the trouble makers, but the other two were complete mysteries.  As if Charles could mind-read, or he just notice the odd looks the boys were giving Erik, he had decided that introductions were in order.

“Oh dear, where are my manners! Children-“

 _“we are teenagers,_ ” Charles held his finger out pointing, just like how Pavlov taught dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell, Charles taught the boys that if he pointed to be quiet and if he motioned - to leave the room.

Alex gave a soft apology and slouched in his chair allowing Charles to continue.

“- this is Erik Lehnsherr, he will be out guest for the time being. Erik this is Alex, Sean, Darwin and Hank,” Charles motioned to each boy mentioning their names.

“Pleasure to meet you all,” he said with a nod. Sean and Alex gave a gruff hello, Darwin waved and Hank managed to squeak out a ‘hello’ before turning his attentions to his plate. Erik was about to dig in when he notice everyone staring at Charles as if waiting for the final say.

“Well go on, dig in you all must be hungry from destroying my property.”

 _Ouch_.

Erik gave an obvious flinch but shook it off after he reached out and took some eggs, bacon and toast that had been prepared. Conversations went across the table, from Alex and Sean discussing new ways to destroy things, Charles talking to Hank about his studies and Darwin discussing films with Raven.

Erik chose to keep to himself eating his meal.

“Holy Alex, did you not bathe this morning?”

“What of course I did!”

“You sure because I just got a waft of Scotch and B.O.”

Erik felt his face turn red before he dropped his utensils on the plate, trying to hide his face. He knew he smelt but the damned pipes in this old house didn’t seem to work.

“Alex, why would you smell like scotch?” Charles questioned. Erik could help but give a toothy smile as the teenager began to sweat and pull at his collar trying to come up with a plausible lie under Charles glare.

“Apologies, that _smell_ might in fact be me,” he saw Alex relax and let out a whoosh of air the second Charles turned away from his charge and towards Erik.

“I tried to take a shower but your pipes didn’t seem to be working.”

“Oh, I’m sorry I knew I forgot to tell you something. Yes, although I do have this vast house at my disposal half of it actually isn’t in a functioning order. Only about three bathrooms work out of the dozen or so we have on the grounds,” Erik’s eyes all most bugged out of their sockets when he mentioned that dozen bathrooms. He had one full bath and a half-bath, he would constantly worry about the future when Pietro and Wanda would be old enough to fight over allotted bathroom slots, he didn’t know how Charles did it with four boys and a one woman.

“It’s alright, I’ll have to head back to my own place and grab some things I can simply catch a shower there.”

“Well I’m sure Raven wouldn’t mind if I borrowed her car to drive you into town.”

Erik didn’t miss the glare that Raven sent in her brother’s direction _youwanttodowhatwithmycar?_

“What happened to yours Prof?” Alex asked shoving a slice of toast in his mouth.

“It has been – indisposed...” he said carefully choosing his words. Charles still had to figure out how to get the poor Ford Focus to a garage... or a dump rather.

“When did I agree to this?” Raven questioned. Charles simply leaned over and kissed her softly on the temple, his face filled with charm as he brushed a few stray locks of hair from her face.

“Because you are the best sister in the entire world and I grovel in your almightyness.” Raven contemplated for a moment and then gave a huff before pulling out a set of keys and dropping them into his hands. Charles gave her another kiss on the temple and told Erik that they’d head out as soon as breakfast was finished.

Once everyone was finished Charles collected the dishes and placed them in the sink, giving them a quick rinse. All of the boys helped out with clearing and packaging leftovers and once they were finished they all raced off to the living room, Erik thought he heard something about zombie killing but chose to ignore it. Charles removed the pink frilly apron and hung it on a small hook on the side of the cabinets and leaned to give his sister a hug.

“Shouldn’t be long darling, need anything while I’m out?”

“Yes a new brother, one with fewer brats...” she said crossing her arms over her chest. Charles just laughed and hugged her tighter.

“Come now, you love me and the kids – no use fighting it,” Raven just rolled her eyes and tried to wiggle from her brother’s grasp but failed and gave into the hugs. Erik enjoyed watching the display; they were a family – a bit an odd bunch but they worked together.

Charles began to head for the hallway motioning for Erik to follow him when Raven called out,

“Try not to hit any giant squirrels!”

Charles couldn’t help but chuckle.

Charles collected both his and Erik’s shoes before heading to the door that led to the garage.

“Is it safe to leave you sister here alone with all those boys?”

Charles gave a scoff pulling his laces free and sliding his feet into the polished loafers.

“Please, those boys worship the ground she walks on, that’s the best thing about teenage boys, all it takes it one attractive woman to train them,” he said grinning up at Erik who simply slid his runners on not bothering to untie them.

Charls showed Erik to the garage upon entering Charles hit the automatic locks on the sleek black jaguar before them. Erik let out a low whistle as they climbed in.

“Yes Raven has been known for her expensive tastes. I, on the other hand, prefer something much more subtle and practical.”

“Is that why you wear sweater vests, tweed and drive a Ford Focus?”

Charles made a face that Erik could only interpret as offended, or constipated.

“I’ll have you know Tweed is making a comeback, and plus sweater vests have these handy little pockets that I can stick my pens in,” he said checking his pockets at the moment to see what was in there.

“Tweed will never make a come-back Charles... ever.”

Charles scoffed and shook his head before reaching up to hit the garage door opener.

“So where to then, my friend?”

“15 Kingscourt Dr.”

“Excellent! A long enough drive for us to have a chat.”

Erik felt a deep sense of foreboding danger at the thought of a long drive as Charles struggled to _grind_ the jag into first gear.

“You do know how to drive standard... right?”

“Oh yes of course, just like riding a bike!” Erik barely had enough time to grab the _holyshit_ bars when Charles hit the gas and tore out of the garage and down the driveway _grinding_ the jag into second gear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My grandmother had two sets of decorative armor and I was nitrous as a child for trying to dress up in them - needless to say I learned the Crisco trick the hard way when I was about 13 and managed to squeeze one of the helmets on. Thats when I learned decorative armor is just meant to be decorative ! its also a bitch to put back on the stand so I figured it would be a good punishment for Sean and Alex.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left Kudos on this story, it makes me all tingly inside !


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